Cooler



Patentecl Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED sTATEs COOLER Chester A. Holt, Application March 13,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to containers fo-r drinking water and has particular reference to means for Cooling the water within such container.

' In large cities, discriminating people prefer touse spring or distilled water, commercially distributed in bottles, to the ordinary city water. The distributor of such water usually furnishes a Water cooler, in the form of an olla, set on a stand., into the mouth of which the bottle is seated in inverted position. Evaporation, through the walls of the olla, cools the water within the container. The objection to such structure is, that the water for Cooling passes directly through the porous walls of the olla, leaving Channels open for the entrance and passage of germs into the drinking water.

In view of the foregoing, the object of my invention is to provide a water cooler in which the inner wall of the container for the drinking water is impervious to water and in which the water used for Cooling, while supplied from the drinking Water, is kept entirely separate therefrom. A further object is the provision of a water cooler,'in which the supply of water for coo-ling purposes is positively Controlled in order that no more water need to be wasted than required for Cooling purposes. Another object is to provide a simple, inexpensive and easily cleaned structure of neat and artistic appearance.

To this end the invention consists in the combinations hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the appended drawing, of which:

Fig. l is a sectional side elevation of a structure embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the invention, substantially in agreement with Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of my invention, and it is shown partly in section for the sake of clearness.

The outer appearance of the device of my invention Conforms to that of the water cooler ordinarily supplied by the distributors to the office and home of large cities.

The structure comprises a container I, the mouth of which is shaped to receive an inverted water bottle 2, and at the bottom of which a faucet 3 is provided. The inner surface, 4, of the container is shown vitrified to prevent water from seeping through the wall and impurities from without to penetrate into the container, but the body of the wall, outside this impermeable inner portion, is preferably porous to provide sufficient absorbing capacity for Cooling purposes.

The lower portion of the container is preferably cylindrical, and it is toward the top contracted Los Angeles, Calif.

1934, Serial No. 715,287

cover is proportioned loosely to fit the neck of the container. The shell '6 is rigidly secured to the container wall in any suitableV manner, or it may form an integral part of the container, if desired. Within the shell is formed an annular chamber for receiving the Cooling medium, and

this chamber is supplied through an orifice Ib, in the neck of the container. The Cooling water is absorbed by the shell 6 and by the outer container wall, gradually to seep downwardl and around the bottom of the container.

.The absorbing capacity of the structure depends, of course, upon the texture o f the material used, as well as the thickness of the walls. Where the absorption capacity of the lower portion of the container is found sufiicient, it may be found preferred'to provide an impervious shell, such as shown at 1 in Fig. 3. Such shell mayconveniently be made from sheet metal and it may be fitted with a metal cover 8. In this case, the Container, 9, may be made with a shoulder portion 9a, on which the shell may be tightly pressed into position. It is not necessary, however, that this joint be absolutely watertight, because any water that may seep through is absorbed by the container wall and so adds to the Cooling effect.

It is important that means be providedfor controlling the fiow of the water from the container into the cooling chamber, and such means is here shown to comprise a spout IO, tightly seated in the container neck and having its orifice downwardly directed. An arm is shown pivotally hung on this' spout and it is fitted with a valve I 2 for closing the spout orifice. A fioat |3, secured to the outer end of this arm, is actuated by the Water level within the chamber to control the fiow through this spout. In this manner assurance is present that no more water is used than required for Cooling purposes.

While I have shown the structure of my invention in its preferred form, I do not limit myself to this particular Construction. Nor is the cooler of my invention necessarily shaped to receive a water bottle but may, if preferred, be made with a removable cap i4', for use where bottle service is not available or. bottle water not desired. But I do wishV to make clear, that my invention consists in a ceramic water bottle, interiorly vitrified; that an evaporation Chamber surrounds the neck of the bottle; and that a controlled passage for water to this Chamber is provided in the neck of the bottle. The relative sizes and proportions of the elements forming this combination will depend, in each case, upon service requirements.

I claim:

1. In a water cooler, a water container having a vitrified inner surface and porous outer surface, the upper portion of the container being contracted to form a neck, a shell seated on the outer surface of the container to form an annular Chamber around said neck, there being a small passage in the neck for Water to said Chamber, an annular cover seatable on said shell and encompassing the neck of the container to close the mouth of said Chamber, and a float valve operated by the water level in the Chamber to control said passage.

2. A water lcooler comprising, a water container having a vitrified inner surface and porous outer surface, the upper portion being Contracted to form a neck the mouth of which is shaped to receive an inverted water bottle, a shell rising on the outer surface of the container to form a. Chamber around said neck, there being a small passage in the neck for water to said Chamber, an annular cover seatable on said` shell around the neck to closeV the Chamber, and a float valve operated by the water level in the Chamber to control said passage.

3. In a water cooler, a cylindrical vbody comprising an inner vitrous layer and outer porous layer, said body having its upper portion Contracted to form a neck and made with a cylindrical wall rising from the lower cylindrical portion to form an annular Chamber around said neck, the mouth of the neck being shaped to receive an inverted water bottle, and an .annular cover seatable on said wall to close the said chamber, the central opening of said Cover fittingly encompassing said neck.

4. In a water cooler, a cylindrical body comprising an inner vitrous layer and Aouter porous layer, said body having its upper portion contracted to form a neck and made with a cylindrical wall rising from the lower cylindrical portion to form an annular chamber around said neck, the mouth of the neck being shaped to receive an inverted water bottle, there being in the neck a small passage for water to said Chamber, and an annular cover seatable on said wall and encompassing the neck to close said Chamber.

5. A cylindrical body comprising an inner vitrous layer and an outer porous layer, said body having its upper portion contracted to form a neck the mouth of which is shaped to receive an 'inverted water bottle and made with a cylindrical wall rising from the lower cylindrical portion to form an annular Chamber around said neck, there being in the neck a small passage for water to said Chamber, an annular cover seatable on said wall and encompassing the neck to close the said Chamber, and means operated by the Water level in said Chamber to control said passage.

6. A water cooler comprising av cylindrical bottle of porous material having its inner surface vitrified and made With a cylindrical wall encompassing the bottle neck to form an outer chamber, there being in the side of 'the neck a water passage, a spout seated in said passage, afioat valve mounted on said spout and operated by the water level in said outer chamberto Control the orifice of said spout, and an annular cover seatable own said wall and encompassing the bottle neck to Close said outer Chamber.

7. In a water cooler, a water container comprising an inner vitrous layer and an outer porous layer, the upper portion of the container being contracted to form a neck, a casing rising from 1 the lowerportion of the container to form a Chamber between the neck and casing to hold water to be absorbed by the porous outer layer of the container and by gravity and capillary attraction to pass through the outer porous layer 5:12 

